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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a document
  5. rock — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — the fish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a line of people
  23. swing — music
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com